AFTER spending 24 years in the public spotlight, veteran councillor and former mayor Dick Niven has few regrets as he prepares to step down ahead of Saturday’s poll.

True to form until the end, Cr Niven yesterday delivered a characteristically blunt assessment of the current council and the challenges ahead for the new faces set to infiltrate the council chamber.

“This has without a doubt been the most combative council I have ever seen. To a certain extent there has been more concentration on scoring points over each other than getting on with the job,” he said.

“After sitting on far more harmonious councils, the events of the last four years have been extremely difficult to watch because one side is right, the other not so right or straight out wrong but neither is really prepared to give a little. That’s not the way a council should behave and I think the voters know what’s been happening.”

First elected to council in 1980, Cr Niven decided to not contest the 1987 election.

He did however return to council in 1991 thanks to a strong and dedicated support base he has maintained at every election since.

“Look, I’m viewing the whole thing with mixed emotions, looking back I certainly enjoyed the challenges of being mayor but it all takes a toll on your family. Anyway I’m probably considered too old to be there so it’s better to leave on your own terms rather than get pushed out or stay too long and be useless,” Cr Niven said.

“It’s hard to tell what will happen on Saturday, but people are in the mood for a change and we could see that happen. Often the people want to punish a council whether they’ve done well or not but this time the people haven’t got anyone to punish them with. In 2004 John Davis was the tool for people to punish the council but this time there is no-one quite as high profile so who knows.”

A frequent advocate for the amalgamation of the Orange, Cabonne and Blayney local government areas several years ago, Cr Niven still maintains amalgamation may be inevitable.

Rarely does a council meeting go by where Cr Niven fails to repeat his favourite saying “we’ll take them over anyway” to appreciative chuckles from councillors and senior staff alike.

“Look at the map, we are the smallest regional municipality in country NSW and it’s only for political reasons we haven’t amalgamated until now. But no doubt Cabonne would be dead against it because there is a real sense of resentment out there towards Orange at the moment,” he said.

‘But I will be watching everything with interest from the sidelines and will be happy to be involved because you couldn’t stop Orange if you tried.”